By: Mahari A. McTier
I was fortunate to participate in a public forum hosted by the Foot Soldiers Activist Committee at the Carver Theatre (Jazz Hall of Fame) titled A Conversation Amongst Brothers. It was an in-depth conversation amongst brothers ranging in age from 18-80 from all walks of life. Rarely have I had the opportunity to be in the company of such a diverse group of men having a substantive conversation about the issues that are paramount to our communities in Birmingham.
Dr. Richard Arrington, former Mayor of Birmingham, graced us with his wisdom and presence by serving as a panel guest and Washington Booker, Vice Chairman of the Foot Soldiers Activist Committee, served as the meeting moderator. I must be honest, I did have some apprehension about attending, because I have spent almost 20 years of my life in meetings pontificating about the problems facing African Americans and only to leave the meeting with rarely any action being taken. In many cases a bunch of ego driven preachers, community loud mouths, and wise men who have all the answers and no plan of execution were the majority of the attendants. Having worked for two members of Congress, served on several local and national boards, and volunteered with several noteworthy organizations, I made a commitment that I would be selective and use much discretion in my change the world involvement. I’ve heard it all and seen it all with little action post all the meetings, banquets, and marches.
What is my point? In the meeting we spent 90 percent of the time talking about what government at the City and County level wasn’t doing for the people. I boldly interjected and shifted the conversation from what can government do for us, to what can we do for ourselves. Dr. Arrington eloquently shared with the group the limitations of City Hall as it relates to contracts and opportunities. Yes, Government plays a vital role in our lives and we need government for basic service, but government is not the answer to all our problems.
In Birmingham we spend most of our efforts focusing on civil rights issues, but many of our civil rights issues of economic inequality and discrimination can be alleviated if we focused on both civil rights and economic rights issues and strategies simultaneously. In the wake of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination, he, along with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, organized the Poor People’s Campaign in 1968 in an effort to gain economic justice. Dr. King understood the importance of economics to the movement toward equality. We can march until we have calluses on our feet, only until there is an economic impact to the opposition will voices be taken seriously and heard. There is something wrong with a city that is 70 percent Black having less than 10 percent of the wealth. How does this happen? This happens when African-Americans in Birmingham circulate their over $5B annual buying power one time in their community when compared to the seven times for other ethnic groups, before it leaves their community. Yes, I said $5B. Buying power is defined as disposable income left over after taxes to spend on goods and services. This happens when majority African-American government entities voluntarily give the majority of contracts to non-African American groups when there are qualified African-American firms to do the work. I feel that people of all races and ethnicities should be treated fairly as it relates to government contracts and if African-Americans are 70 percent of the population in Birmingham government contracts should reflect this percentage.
In summary, African-Americans in Birmingham can make positive changes in their communities by developing an economic movement that consists of circulating the $5B annual buying power with Black businesses; electing government officials who are not afraid to be fair and equitable in awarding contracts (70% to minorities) at a level that reflects the population make-up of the city; holding majority institutions fully accountable to providing fair and equitable services to the African-American community; and be willing to call them out collectively if minimum expectations are not being met. We need all the components of change to play their role in the movement regardless of what the cause may be. Just as important as it is for us to stand united hand in hand marching for justice, we have to stand united on an economic agenda that will empower us to be independent and self-sufficient. We do not need anyone to do anything for us. We have always made a way since slavery and I have full confidence that we can provide for ourselves and bring change to our communities on our own.
